Birat
Anupam
Itahari,
July 29 (RSS): In ordinary days, travelers from
eastern Terai embark on their journey to Gupha Pokhari of Sankhuwasabha for
beautiful views of the Himalayan peaks dancing in the waters of the pond.
Guphapokhari would not have received much footfall for Himalayan glance.
However, this scene has changed in the last couple of days.
''People from Terai
would come for Himalayan views and hilly chill'', said Santosh Limbu, an
operator of a tea-house in the Suke Bazaar which is adjacent to Gupha Pokhari.
He added, ''Now, they do not have much interest in the Himalayan views of
beautiful peaks like Makalu, Kanchenjunga and Kumbhakarna and the likes. They
just come here to escape the baking heat in the Terai.'' According to Limbu at
a time when no local travelers are on their journey in the Gupha Pokhari area, travelers
from eastern Teari's Dharan, Itahari and Biratnagar are coming for chilling
weather.
Similar is the tale of
Indra Karki, a farm house operator at Mangalbare of Sankhuwasabha district
which is just a half-hour drive from Gupha Pokharai. ''I have lived here
continuously for around seven years but I would not have seen mach visitors
during Ashar and Sawan'', said Karki, ''This scene has changed in the last two
years. People are coming here for good weather specially to evade
Terai's scorching sun and to have fun here.'' Just one and half hour ride from Basantapur bazaar
of Tehrathum which lies in the mid-hill highway of Nepal, Gupha Pokharai has
been connected with good all-weather motorable roads giving rise to all-weather travelers.
''Travelling in this
area would be a seasonal specially in times of rhododendron bloom and snowing
season'', said Santosh Limbu, ''This has changed and it has been a year-round
destination which is good both for traveler and hoteliers.'' There is no governmental statistics on daily
arrival. However, local hoteliers and tea-house operators the figure is around
100 per day from both two-wheeler and four-wheeler.
Gupha Pokharai lies at
an altitude of 2890 meter, which is higher than that of Lukla (2850 meter).
